Summer Nights
by thedespisedfemaleantagonist
Summary: A series of drabbles set between American Dreams and Left Behind, focusing on how the girls fell in love. All fluff and happiness, because who doesn't love fluff and happiness?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So, I'm here with another fic, because I have all of these ideas for little drabbles, and my main fic can be daunting sometimes. Anyway, the title is kind of ironic, since the fic picks up where American Dreams left off, which I'm assuming was some time in winter. However, I've been on a Lana Del Rey kick lately, and that line from "Young and Beautiful"**

**_Hot summer nights, mid July_**

**_When you and I were forever wild_**

**really reminds me of Ellie and Riley. **

**Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this. I already have a load of drabbles written, so I should be publishing more soon.**

* * *

The morning dawned aggressively, light piercing through the window like a blade. Ellie's head still throbbed from the previous evening's encounter, and she internally cursed the Fireflies as she rubbed gingerly at the cut on her forehead.

She slipped her fingers underneath her pillow, finding her blade where she'd left it, cool against the sheets. Her mother's letter was tucked into the mattress. It'd be safe there.

Footsteps could be heard thundering through the halls outside her door, the other kids parading about like a herd of elephants, and her head throbbed in time with their footsteps.

She and Riley had had… what? Two hours of sleep?

She wondered if Riley was fairing as poorly as she was, as she pulled on her jeans. There'd been something disconcerting about seeing her upset, even after only knowing her for a short time. Riley didn't seem the type to show feelings easily.

* * *

As it turned out, Riley was equally exhausted.

She'd beckoned Ellie over to her table when Ellie had finally found her way to the mess hall, flashing her a smile that looked slightly forced. Ellie had joined her quickly, taking the seat Riley had left for her at the end of the bench, careful to ignore the curious eyes of Riley's other friends.

Riley waved a hand toward the group. "Ellie, this is Tino," she jerked a thumb at a skinny, dark-skinned boy with a charming smile, "Kayla, Kat, and Annie."

With each name she gestured to a girl, each looking at Ellie with a mixture of curiosity and distrust.

"Nice ta meetcha," Tino said to Ellie, before turning to Riley and scrutinizing her. "You look like hell. Sneaking out again?"

Riley only hummed in response. Ellie noted the circles under her eyes, watching as Riley traced a finger over Firefly symbol that was carved into the table, her expression distant.

"Fine, don't tell me. Gonna get your ass kicked if Corporal Dickhead finds out, though."

"Why don't you let me worry about that," Riley said flatly, standing up and nodding toward the line forming near the counter, where the meals were handed out. "Ellie, c'mon."

Ellie stood up quickly and trotted after her, not bothering to cast a glance back at the others they'd left sitting at the table.

"Hey," Ellie said, catching up to her, her voice low. "You… okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" It came off stiffly, and Ellie decided upfront questions were probably a bad idea.

"Okay. No one noticed us sneaking out, I guess? Except for Tino."

"Tino's cool. Don't worry about him."

"Right."

They'd reached the front of the line, and trays were shoved at each of them, the food looking about as edible as the scratched plastic it rested on.

Ellie looked at Riley, who only shrugged.

"It's better than nothing."

They walked back to the table silently, Riley still looking distant. The others were still away, waiting for their food.

"Hey," Riley said suddenly, looking at Ellie as if she was a puzzle to be solved. "Last night… what you said about running away – why'd you ask me that? I mean, you've only known me for what? Two days?"

"I wasn't asking you to marry me," Ellie muttered. "I just… you were upset and I was pissed off and I guess I just thought it'd be worth suggesting or something."

Riley was quiet for a moment, still considering her.

"I mean, you said you wanted out…" Ellie continued, feeling slightly uncomfortable under Riley's unfaltering, thoughtful gaze.

Riley glanced down at her food, shrugging. "Yeah, I do. You're just the first person to suggest something like that. Everyone else is so damn complacent with how things are… you just surprised me."

Ellie nodded, beginning to pick at her own food, the grits the consistency of water, the eggs rubbery and dry, partially burned.

"We'll find some way out, though," Riley said, sounding as if she was trying to reassure herself.

Ellie glanced back up at her. "We?"

"You telling me you want to stay?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, of course not. I just didn't know there was a 'we.'"

"There is." Riley paused, looking almost nervous, like she was waiting for Ellie's reaction. Ellie found it oddly charming.

Ellie grinned, looking back down at her inedible eggs. "Okay. Cool."

She saw Riley smile out of the corner of her eye, the most honest expression she'd seen on her face all morning, and felt her own smile growing in response.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks to those who have already favorited and/or subscribed. This fic started off a little slower than I intended, but I like how it's going so far.**

* * *

When Ellie opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a smile that looked far too amused to mean anything good, and a pair of brown eyes to match.

"What the hell?"

Riley rocked back on her heels where she was crouched by Ellie's bed, tilting her head, the smile still in place. "You're a heavy sleeper, you know that?"

Ellie blinked away sleep, pushing up on her elbows and rubbing her hands over her eyes. "What's going on?"

"I'm heading out. You coming?"

"What time is it?"

"Does it matter?"

Ellie sat up, swinging her bare feet out of the bed and yawning. "Where are we going?"

"The mall."

Ellie narrowed her eyes. "Just the mall, right? No Fireflies?"

Riley dropped her eyes for a moment, and Ellie regretted bringing up the subject. "Considering how that went last time, I think you already know the answer to that."

"Yeah. Okay," she said, feeling slightly awkward in just her oversized t-shirt and shorts as she stood up. "Let me find some clothes."

Riley nodded, peeking quickly out of the door and into the hall. "Hurry up."

* * *

"You know, you're going to end up getting us killed."

They were both collapsed, breathless, against the wall of the mall's shoe store, their legs sore from running, their hearts still hammering in their chests.

"Nah. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Riley said, waving her hand as if physically brushing off the concern. "We're still good."

"They saw as that time," Ellie said flatly.

Riley made a vague noise, shrugging. She rested her head back against the wall, a faint smile still playing on her lips.

"I bet if I asked Winston he'd probably tell me the only reason you bring me here is because you got the last kid you were bringing around killed."

Riley opened her eyes and looked at her, their faces barely a foot apart.

"I did not. The last person I brought here was Tino. He was still there being an ass this morning, wasn't he?"

Ellie shrugged. "Still, that was really close."

"Ellie, relax. The soldiers see people sneaking out all the time. They're not going to come after us. Promise."

Ellie glanced back out the broken window they'd entered through, the overgrown, shadowy food court they'd crossed through still silent and undisturbed.

"Alright. So, what are we doing tonight?"

Riley raised her eyebrows. "You tell me."

Ellie considered it for a moment, her eyes drifting around the room. She found herself aware of how their shoulders were touching, how close they were in spite of the large space they were in, and found that it felt strangely nice.

She glanced back at Riley, who was still watching her, waiting for an answer.

"Uh," she said, her eyes landing on Riley's cheeks, noticing for the first time the freckles that dotted them like stars. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it. "Stargazing."

Riley blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah. We could just, y'know, hangout on the roof. Or something." She felt strangely self-conscious, and glanced away, still feeling Riley's eyes on her.

"Okay." Riley stood up, and offered her hand. "Let's go."

A quick walk away, up a halted escalator and out a window, up a fire escape and then over a ledge, and they were on the rooftop, the sliver of the waning moon looking down on them like a sideways smile, stars speckling the sky around it.

"Oh, man…" Ellie breathed, plopping down on the gritty pavement and then pulling Riley down after her.

"It's pretty gorgeous," Riley agreed. She removed her backpack and set it on the ground behind her, resting her head on it and then folding her hands on her stomach.

"People used to go up there. I heard one guy went to the moon," Ellie said, her voice low, as if she was afraid of startling the sky away like a frightened animal.

"Really?" Riley wrinkled her nose. "You know, maybe if they'd put as much energy into preparing for some sort of disaster as they did into doing stuff like that maybe the world wouldn't have gone to hell."

"Yeah, but then they couldn't say that people have been to the moon."

"Touché."

They spent the rest of the evening laying under the stars, talking in low voices (apart from when Ellie saw a shooting star, and then proceeded to yell in delight until Riley hushed her), eventually returning to the school when the sky started to fade from pure black to soft blue.

A few weeks later, Riley stopped by Ellie's room one night, after making a quick trip out on her own, and presented her with a book on constellations, brushing off Ellie's thanks with a half smile that reminded Ellie of the moon.


	3. Chapter 3

"So… truth or dare?"

Ellie's eyes left the brightly colored pages of the comic she'd been reading and fell on Riley, who was lounging on the bunk across from her, her foot bumping Ellie's leg.

"Are you twelve?"

"Just answer the question."

Ellie groaned, looking out the window, the cold rain outside speckling the glass with cloudy, hill-like little bumps, and realized they didn't have many other options for entertainment.

"Fine. Truth."

Riley sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping an arm around them loosely. "Okay. Um… if you could go anywhere, I mean like anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

Ellie considered it for a moment. "California."

Riley lifted an eyebrow.

"Remember that poster in the mall? White sandy beaches and glistening blue water and all that? Just sounds nice. I mean, compared to this." She gestured toward the bleak, grimy buildings, the rain falling in curtains.

Riley hummed. "Sounds like a good vacation."

"Really. Okay, truth or dare?"

"I don't feel like getting up and doing anything, so truth."

"Lazy."

Riley shrugged, closing her eyes and resting her head back against the wall, waiting.

"Why'd you come and help me that day when I first came to the school? When I was fighting with those dickwads that tried to take my Walkman."

Riley blinked, and then shook away her surprise. "You mean when you were getting wailed on."

"Just answer the question."

"Um…" She shook her head, her teeth worrying the corner of her lip. "I don't know. Daniels has always just been an asshole, and you were kind of outnumbered. It didn't seem fair."

"Yeah, but then you took my Walkman. If you were worried about fairness—"

"There's a difference between having your teeth knocked in and having someone take your Walkman. Besides, I knew you'd come and get it back."

"How—?"

"No one with that much fight was just going to let someone take something from them and not get pissed about it," Riley said, smirking.

Ellie stretched out her own feet and kicked Riley lightly.

"Truth or dare?" Riley prompted.

"Dare," Ellie replied, holding her gaze.

"Hm. Sing me something."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Pfft. You need more imagination."

Riley waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. Go on."

"What do you want me sing?"

"One of those shitty songs you like."

Ellie sighed. "Okay. Uh…" She cleared her throat, and then began, nervously, her voice slowly rising to match what she remembered of the singer's high, cheerful tones.

"There's something 'bout the way the street looks when it's just rained…"

Riley watched her while she sang, her head tilted slightly to the side, a soft smile lingering on her lips that made heat rise in Ellie's cheeks as her voice lifted with the chorus.

"'Cause I don't know how it gets better than this, you take my hand and drag me head first

fearless…"

When she had finished her cheeks felt sunburnt, and Riley was still smiling.

"Well," Riley said after a moment of shy silence, "that song is kind of disgustingly sweet, but you do a better job than the original. Remind me to get you some better music though."

Ellie cleared her throat. "Yeah, whatever. So, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Wimp. Um…" she paused taking a breath and examining the bed's worn, well-used quilt. "Ever kiss anyone?"

Riley looked taken aback, her eyebrows shooting up, and then her eyes quickly dropping down before darting back up to Ellie. "As of yet… no."

Ellie tried not to sound too interested. "Really?"

"I doubt you have either," Riley said, defensively.

"Nope. I, uh… never got around it to it."

Riley snorted. "Right."

"Shut up." Ellie turned herself around and flopped down so she was lying beside Riley, crossing her arms behind her head. "Truth, before you ask."

"Okay. What's your favorite memory?"

"Um… there's not a lot to work with."

"Oh, come on. Where's the aggressive positivity?"

Ellie sighed, wrinkling her nose. "Well… a lot of them have been with you so far." She paused. "And that's really cheesy. Forget I said anything."

"Well, it is cheesy, but…" Riley shrugged. "Understandable. I'm pretty awesome."

"You're actually kind of an asshole," Ellie muttered, sitting up, their shoulders pressed together in the tight confines of the bunk.

Riley just chuckled. "Okay. Dare."

"Oookay. Um."

Ellie turned her head to look at her, unaware until then of the short distance between their faces. She looked at Riley's eyes for a moment, warm, intent eyes that looked dark in the shadow of the bed. She noticed how long her eyelashes were, then, when Riley blinked, and found her eyes soon drifting down to her lips, full and slightly parted, a smile playing at their edges. Pretty. Everything about her was pretty, actually…

Ellie took a slow nervous breath.

"I dare you to…" her voice trailed off, and then she broke Riley's expectant gaze, looking back down at the threadbare blanket.

_Kiss me._

She chased the thought away like a pesky fly, feeling her cheeks heat up again, and spoke quickly, tripping over her words. "Sing something for Winston next time we go see him."

Riley's brow furrowed, looking almost disappointed. The expression flitted away quickly, to be replaced by amusement. "You're kind of ripping off my idea."

"Whatever. Raincheck, though."

"Okay," Riley said after a moment, quietly, her eyes drifting back to the blanket. "Fine."

There were no more questions that night, though Riley lingered in the door before leaving, a question on her lips that she couldn't quite bring herself to ask, even when Ellie prompted her on it.

"Nothing," was all she said, before leaving, their gazes catching once more. "'Night, Ellie."

"Yeah…" Ellie watched her leave from her door, feeling a knot in her stomach. "See you tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Have some more dorkiness. And thanks to everyone who has favorited/followed/reviewed; I really appreciate it! :)**

* * *

"You actually think you're going to win?" Ellie demanded, her finger twitching on the trigger as she peeked over the table, the gun sloshing as she shifted her weight.

There was no response, only stillness, the rotting tablecloths undisturbed. She glanced over her shoulder, a bird hopping around in the shattered glass in front of a drink machine, searching the shimmering mess for something to eat.

Ellie took a nervous breath, looking around anxiously. She had to be around somewhere. She'd come this way.

"You don't know what you're playing with, Riley," she taunted, stalking between tables, her gun at the ready.

She glanced over the counter, plastic bottles and leaves littering the tile, and then walked on, eyeing the backroom suspiciously. It was the only place left she could be.

There was a crackling behind her and she spun around, finger on the trigger, a breath caught in her throat. She saw nothing, save the bird, which had gone to examine its reflection in a plastic menu holder.

Slowly, she turned back around, breathing out in a long woosh. _Relax._

She had barely taken two steps when she felt something cool pressed against her neck, and heard a soft, amused laugh.

"You really ought to learn to look under counters, sweetie."

Before she could react cold water was soaking the back of her shirt, and she spun around and shot wildly, missing Riley as she dove over a table, toppling it, the tablecloth kicking up dust as it fell. The bird fluttered away, irritated, and landed on a sign near the window.

"Fuck you!" Ellie snapped, jumping behind the counter, her gaze landing on the cabinet that was now hanging open. She rolled her eyes.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings! And now we're equal!" Riley called from somewhere across the restaurant, sound far too pleased with herself for Ellie's taste.

"Enjoy it while you can, 'cause I'm going to own you," Ellie muttered.

She moved along the counter, darting from table to table and into the backroom, pressing herself up against the wall by the door and waiting, her gun by her hip. She shivered as the water from the last shot rolled down her back. It was still early spring – hardly the time for water gun fights – but it was one of the few random warm days that'd sprung up recently, and neither of them had been willing to let it pass without taking advantage of it. Plus, the cooler air added more tension to the game, as far as Ellie was concerned. And made it that much more satisfying when you finally shot someone.

Speaking of which…

Riley's footsteps, each step deliberate, stalking, could be heard somewhere nearby. Ellie could make out the occasional leaf being swept aside, the crunching of a bottle as it rolled away.

She saw the tip of Riley's gun rounding the corner before she saw her, and grabbed the barrel, catching her unaware, and jerked it out of Riley's hands, tossing it backward, her own gun aimed at Riley's chest.

She grinned victoriously at the look of dismay on Riley's face. "You should be more aware of your surroundings."

"You're an asshole who doesn't play fair," Riley muttered, backing up slowly, her eyes darting back to her gun lying on the floor behind Ellie.

"All's fair in love and war," Ellie crowed, stalking forward, her gun bumping into Riley's chest. "Any last words?"

Riley shrugged. "Nah."

Before Ellie could react, Riley's hand shot up, knocking the barrel of Ellie's gun away before she lunged forward, falling to her hands and knees and grabbing her own before flipping over and shooting at Ellie, just grazing her shoulder.

"Shit!"

"You should learn not to monologue," Riley said flatly, dodging between tables and out into the main part of the mall, taking off into what appeared to be some sort of clothing store, Ellie firing at her all the while, a few shots hitting her back.

Ellie slid to a halt in the door of the shop, shelves displaying fancy, dust-coated shoes to either side of her. She narrowed her eyes as she scanned the store. "I'm way ahead now, just so you know."

"You lose points for poor sportsmanship," Riley called.

Ellie eyed the racks stuffed with clothing, the dressing rooms, the counter where baskets of bracelets and cosmetics rested, faded stickers proclaiming them to be on sale.

"Bullshit. There aren't rules."

There was no response. Ellie gave her gun a shake, noting that she had at least a quarter of a tank.

"Look, next shot is the winner, because it's getting late," she called, keeping her back to the wall as she moved further into the store. Almost everything was dark, the ceiling still intact. The only light came from the entrance, and that was already fading.

There was a chuckle from somewhere in the room, and Ellie crept forward, aiming her gun around every shelf and display stand and clothing rack as she walked, holding her breath.

She heard a scraping and glanced over her shoulder, noticing how the clothing swayed. She gulped, and listened. There was a rustling, a pattering, and her own nervous breaths, which sounded outrageously loud. She wondered if she should head back toward the front, and was starting to turn around when footsteps to her left sent her spinning in that direction, firing a shot.

She heard the water splatter on the floor, and cursed quietly.

She heard the footsteps again, suddenly, much closer, and shot two shots, and then sprayed all around her, barely able to make out the clothing around her in the darkness.

"Where's the bravado now?" she heard Riley ask, from somewhere further away.

She snorted. "What are you talking about? I'm cool. Just waiting for you to stop hiding and come and face me."

She heard Riley laugh, and moved toward the noise slowly. She saw a flicker of motion darting toward the front of the store and pursued it, grinning when she saw Riley disappear behind a shoe display. Moving as silently as possible, she crept up to the other side of the display, finger on the trigger, before turning the corner suddenly, almost bumping into Riley. She went to fire, and then blinked when only a trickle of water came from the front of her gun.

"Ha—"

Riley didn't get a chance to gloat before Ellie tackled her, earning a surprised yelp. They tumbled to the floor, Ellie's gun dropped behind her as she attempted to pull Riley's away.

They ended up tussling amongst random articles of fallen clothing, Riley's watergun getting knocked away from them and forgotten in the process. Riley finally managed to pin Ellie, laughing at the glare she received.

"You look like a really pissed off kitten," Riley said, examining her with amusement. Ellie continued to glare, attempting to buck her off before eventually sighing and giving up, glowering up at Riley.

"I look nothing like a kitten," she muttered after a moment. Riley just laughed again, relaxing her hold on Ellie's wrist.

"You do. You're little and adorable."

Ellie narrowed her eyes, and then grabbed Riley's arm, shoving her off balance and rolling them over, pinning Riley's wrists beside her head and grinning down at her.

Riley huffed in surprise, and raised her eyebrows. "You have a bad temper. That's also a cat thing."

Ellie rolled her eyes. Riley was still smirking up at her, and Ellie found herself leaning down toward her unconsciously, her hair tickling Riley's face.

"You think I'm adorable?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

Riley wriggled one hand free and pushed Ellie's hair out of her face, tucking it back behind her ear. "Yeah, in an assholeish-but-charming sort of way."

Her hand dropped to Ellie's cheek for a moment and lingered there, neither of them speaking.

"Well, you are, too."

"Right."

"You are."

Riley chuckled. "Sure. So… planning to let me up anytime soon? We gotta get home."

Ellie sighed. "Fine…"

She let go of her other hand and then climbed off her, Riley sitting up and watching her with a lingering smile as Ellie grabbed their guns off the floor, stowing them in her backpack.

"Ready?" Ellie asked, extending her hand. Riley took it, smiling, and climbed to her feet.

It didn't occur to either of them to let go of each other's hands until they had to climb through a window on their way out of the mall.

"Y'know, you really ought to let me carry those," Riley said as they walked up the set of stairs that would take them up to the rooftops.

"What? The water guns?"

Riley nodded. "If one of us is going to get caught with them at school, it'd be better if it was me."

"Why?"

"Because I have less strikes on my record. I've been successful in staying under the radar, whereas you have that whole thing with stabbing a kid with a compass…"

"That was _one_ time."

"The point is, if someone's going to get into trouble, I'd rather it be me. They won't kick me out – and least not unless I do something else against the rules. You're at more of a risk."

Ellie looked at her for a moment, and felt a smile curving up the corner of her mouth.

"You're that worried about me getting kicked out? You must really like me."

"Ha. You're not that great."

"But I'm adorable?"

"Shut up, Ellie."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: This one was so much fun to write; I hope everyone enjoys it!

* * *

The evening air was damp, a storm brewing somewhere in the distance. As Riley descended the stairs into the mall a breeze tugged at her jacket, causing the fabric to billow out behind her like a cape. She'd busted the zipper some time ago, and hadn't found the time to go dig up a new jacket, being too distracted by other things. Besides, it'd be warm out before anyone knew it, anyway.

Her hand returned to the bottle of whiskey in the front pocket of her hoodie, the amber liquid sloshing around in its glass chamber irritably as she jogged toward Winston's tent. She'd been extra wary of losing this particular bottle; it'd been hard to come by.

Besides, she really kind of needed it.

Winston was behind his tent, writing something in a water-stained notebook. He glanced up at the sound of her footsteps, his hand moving to the gun on his belt, and then returning to his lap when he saw her face.

"Riley. To what do I owe the dubious pleasure?"

Riley just smirked, and then produced the bottle from her pocket with dramatic flourish, like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. "Ta da. You oughta thank me for this one. It was a pain in the ass to get."

She tossed him the bottle and he caught it, shooting her an annoyed look before examining the label.

"Not bad."

"Pfft. Better than nothing, right?"

He chuckled. "Budlight would be better than nothing, but that doesn't make it good."

She raised an eyebrow, but decided not to ask. "Whatever. Look, I need a favor."

Winston snorted. "A favor? I'm doing you a favor by not reporting you to that damn school to get you outta my hair."

"Yeah, but then you'd lose your supplier. You don't want to do that," she said nonchalantly, leaning against the tent's support poll, her arms crossed over her chest.

Winston shook his head, irritated, and turned back to his journal. He glanced up at her again when she continued waiting, and then looked around.

"Where's Ellie? She's usually tagging along on your heels, isn't she?"

Riley shrugged. "At the school. Sleeping, probably."

"You get in a fight or something?"

She blinked. "I—no. We're fine. I just decided not to bring her tonight."

Winston just looked suspicious. Riley decided to ignore it.

"When you're out doing… whatever it is you do, you ever come across tapes? Cassettes? Like, with music?"

Winston frowned. "Sometimes. You can find them in apartments and houses, antique shops, a few old stores. Whatdya want that for?"

"I just… do. You think you could get me one? Preferably something that has something on it that isn't shit?"

Winston considered it, and then shrugged. "I can try, when I can get around to it."

"Sooner would be better."

"What's it for?"

"A present."

"You givin' someone a present? What do ya want from the poor sucker?"

She gasped, making a show of being offended. "Ow. Rude. You wound me, Winston. Maybe I just want to be nice."

"Right. I'll believe it when I see it." He snorted, turning back to his notebook. "Go find yer own damn cassette, girl."

Riley sighed. "Look, it's supposed to be a surprise for Ellie. So, if you won't do it for me, can you please just do it for her? The girl needs some music that isn't embarrassing."

Winston examined her for a moment. "You actually just want to get her a present?"

Riley just growled tiredly, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "Can you do it or not?"

Winston raised and eyebrow, and then shrugged. "Still don't know if I believe ya, but alright. I think you've earned that. I'll see what I can find. No promises."

Riley nodded.

"Pleasure doing business with you," she called flippantly on her way out. Winston just rolled his eyes.

* * *

She returned a week later, finding Winston cleaning his gun in his tent. When he saw her he dug something out of his trunk and tossed it to her, the object wrapped in a rag.

"Will that do? Don't know what's on it, but someone wrote something on the label, so it's not empty."

Riley turned the tape over in her hands thoughtfully, attempting to read the scrawled handwriting on the front, but unable to decipher it. She noted the little hearts that were still visible on the label, all random sizes, some lopsided and others neat. It probably had love songs, she imagined.

That'd work. Considering the sappy crap Ellie had on her other tape, she'd probably like that sort of thing. And it wasn't like it was implying anything. It was just music.

That she'd gone out of her way to get as a present.

Maybe she would make it clear that Winston was the one who picked it. Not like she specifically told him love songs, or anything.

She tried to ignore the knowingness of Winston's expression as she examined the tape. "Perfect. Thanks, Winston."

"Whatever, just get out of here and stop asking me for shit."

Riley rolled her eyes, tucking the tape into her pocket. "Enjoy your whiskey."

He watched her jog off, a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth. He'd hit the nail on the head with that one, he decided. Maybe they'd finally get past the staring-at-each-other-like-lovesick-morons stage now.

Winston chuckled to himself, pulling his bottle of whiskey from his coat and taking a sip. Stupid kids.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Hello, reader people. This one is short, but sickeningly adorable. Enjoy, let me know what you think, and so on and so forth. Thanks!**

* * *

The night was bitterly cold. The offensive sort of cold that stabbed through your clothing, chewed at you, rather than nipping, as cold was said to do. It bit at you with a million little rows of teeth, and laughed in the face of hoodies and blankets and sweaters, the futile attempts to keep it away.

It was, to put it simply, colder than Hell. An expression that really didn't make much sense, when you thought about it.

"Fuck this," Riley whined, hunkering down against the bed and pulling Ellie's blanket over her head, much to Ellie's amusement.

"You are actually a big baby," Ellie observed, wrapping her own thin arms around her legs.

"It's fucking cold." She curled further into a ball underneath the blanket, and Ellie laughed. "'Course, not like the soldiers are going to run the heat any higher. Assholes."

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Ellie asked, earning only a vague noise in response.

Ellie stared at the Riley-sized lump under the blanket for a moment, and then shrugged, pulling the quilt over her own head and laying down beside her, her eyes open in the darkness as she fumbled underneath her mattress, trying to find her Walkman.

"Here," she said, tapping Riley on the shoulder, offering an earbud. Riley pulled the blanket down enough to look at her, brown eyes peering curiously at her over the quilt's faded pattern.

"Thanks," she mumbled, taking the earphone from Ellie and scooting closer, the Walkman resting between them.

They laid there for a while, silent as the music poured from the earphones, something soft and slow that sounded summery. Ellie had memorized the entire song. In fact, she had already memorized all the songs on the new tape Riley had gotten her, though she would never admit it.

Riley pulled the blanket more firmly against herself, huffing in annoyance at the cold. Ellie watched her blow an errant curl out of her eyes, her hair equally as recalcitrant as she was in most situations.

"Is it summer yet?" Riley muttered.

"Well, there aren't bugs everywhere, so I don't think so," Ellie said, shifting slightly closer in an attempt to get comfortable.

She just groaned.

Ellie deliberated for a moment, and then sighed. "Here."

Riley looked at her curiously as Ellie reached an arm out, her hand landing on Riley's shoulder, the fabric of her hoodie under her fingers. Then, still uncertain, Ellie shifted forward and wrapped her arm around Riley's shoulders, pulling her closer to her body.

Riley tensed in surprise, and Ellie felt a surge of embarrassment, and was starting to pull away, an apology on her lips, when Riley's arm wrapped around her waist shyly, pulling her back to her.

They lay there like that for a while, neither speaking, Ellie's face tucked into Riley's neck, both silent, their breaths slow and steady.

"Better?" Ellie asked after a while, her voice more nervous that intended.

"Yeah," Riley said softly after a moment, conscious of the catch in her breath.

She felt Ellie smile against her neck.

"Good," Ellie said, closing her eyes.

They awoke the next morning in a tangle of limbs, and smiled awkwardly at each other, Riley darting off to her own room to get dressed.

That evening, after Ellie had spent twenty minutes pacing and wondering if she'd fucked up, Riley appeared at her door with a nervous smile, her fingers toying absentmindedly with her backpack's strap.

"It's still kind of cold," was all she said.

Ellie couldn't contain her grin.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hello! I know this one is also very short, but the next few will be longer. This is actually my favorite so far, regardless of the length.**

* * *

"Fucking. Rain."

Ellie wrung the water from her ponytail in a decidedly furious manner, watching the droplets fall from the end of her hair and land on the dull linoleum, joining the puddle of water that had formed around her boots.

Riley chuckled, her face obscured momentarily by her towel as she wiped the water from her hair.

"You're going to have to get used to it at some point, Ellie."

"I am used to it. I just fucking hate it."

"Don't be a baby. It's just water."

Ellie just growled something under her breath that Riley assumed was an insult.

Lifting her hands in a _whatever_ gesture, she let the matter drop, tossing her towel over the back of a chair beside her jeans and then pulling her soaked tank top over her head, leaving only her sports bra and shorts on.

Ellie, who'd settled down on the bunk in an oversized T-shirt, stared, wide-eyed, as Riley dropped down next to her and stretched out her long legs, seeming utterly at ease as she did, meeting Ellie's nervous gaze curiously.

Ellie had seen Riley in various states of undress before – they often would stow clothing in Ellie's room before they took off for the night, in case what they wore out showed evidence of their adventures, and they needed to change quickly before anyone ran across them– but that didn't stop Ellie's cheeks from heating up as she carefully tried to avoid looking at Riley, keeping her eyes from lingering on her slender frame.

Riley raised an eyebrow.

"You okay there, Ellie? You look kind of… tomato-ish." Her tone was innocent, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes, in the upward curve at the corner of her mouth.

Ellie nodded quickly, too quickly.

Riley watched her for a moment, and then glanced down at herself, as if suddenly becoming aware of her state of dress.

"You don't mind or anything, right?" she asked suddenly, sounding slightly self-conscious.

"No! You're fine." She paused when Riley laughed, and then realized what she'd said, and stuttered. "I mean it's fine, not you're _fine_. Well, I mean, not that you aren't – I mean… shit." She groaned as Riley continued to laugh, her hand covering her mouth.

"Okay, Ellie, I get it. It's… _fine_." She emphasized the last word with a smirk, and Ellie smacked her on the arm.

"Fuck off." Ellie was sure her cheeks would actually catch fire.

"Whatever, babe. Whatever."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Okay, so there was a really long wait on this one, but I have lots of wonderful excuses, like life, and a visiting sister, and an annoying cold. Anyway, this one is much longer than the others, so that should make up for it. Also, cookies for those who can recognize the comics I referenced.**

* * *

At least seven out of every ten people at the school were assholes. If Riley was sure of anything in the world, it was that. Kids, as a general rule, were vicious creatures, just as cruel and harsh as their elders, but generally even more rash and bitter and desperate. Because of this, you couldn't exist in the school without having enemies. It was just a fact of life.

Of course, going around and purposefully antagonizing people didn't help, but, y'know. Whatever.

Riley clearly remembered her first week in the hellhole – she bore a scar on her lip as a permanent reminder, actually, gifted to her by a girl who'd taken a shine to Riley's jacket, and had decided she'd like to have it.

Back then, she'd known very little about fighting. Her parents had taught her the basics, but that hadn't done much to prepare her for having someone two years her senior beat the living hell out of her over something so simple as a piece of clothing. And while she'd certain gotten her own hits in – leaving the girl with a black eye and a broken nose – she'd learned quickly that she had a great deal of catching up to do.

So, over the next year, she'd made friends – something that'd always been easy for her. People just… liked her – and, through a bit of roughhousing and trading tips, figured out to handle herself effectively. After she'd laid a six-foot tall fifteen-year-old on his ass because he'd pissed her off, she'd gained a bit of a reputation around the school. Neither she, nor the people she considered hers, were to be fucked with.

However, regardless of her respectable fighting talents, there were still some situations she wasn't keen on.

For instance, three-against-one in an alley wasn't exactly ideal. Two people were no big deal, if you were prepared, but three was pushing your luck. And it didn't help that they all had at least a few inches on her in size.

Riley gotten out of her drills that morning, unable to catch up with Ellie before she'd had gone for her set, and had decided to skip the first class of the day, on the grounds that it was all bullshit. It gave her a headache to have to sit in that cramped, dingy room and listen to Corporal Dickhead spout off about the Fireflies, bashing them with such vehemence that spit flew out of his mouth and onto whatever unfortunate suckers happened to be sitting too close to the front of the room.

She'd decided to take a walk instead, just to stretch her legs, climbing out through the window in her dorm room and into the alley behind the school before setting off walking with no particular destination in mind. It was a nice day, the air warm, but not quite hot, and the sky clear and flawless as clean glass – just the sort of weather she liked. She had intended for the walk to serve as stress relief, giving her a little time to herself, but she quickly realized upon turning the corner of the dorm building that the assumption that anything would ever actually just be that easy was ridiculous.

It wasn't a huge surprise that Daniels and his bulldogs were cutting, too. They were the leaders of their own little clique, and tended to break just as many rules as she and Ellie did, though they usually got caught more often. Amateurs.

She'd found them in the alley between the students' living quarters and the building that housed the classrooms, the three of them standing near a rusted dumpster, looking so aggressively casual that Riley immediately realized they had been waiting for her.

Riley scrutinized Daniels for a moment. He was a sturdy looking boy, to say the least, his jaw square, his nose thick and squashed, like a pug, and his build solid and muscular. His hair hung limply over his forehead, looking almost obnoxiously greasy. He was far from pretty, but he was a tank, and was known for being nastier than a pit bull on a bad day.

"Hey, Abel! Funny finding you out here," Daniels said with mock cheerfulness, leaning his shoulder against the wall.

Riley raised an eyebrow, her gaze sliding from Daniels to the two boys behind him, one tall and dark-skinned, the other short and skinny. Erin something and… she couldn't remember the other one's name. It didn't matter.

"Daniels," she said, careful to keep her tone disinterested, "great to see you, as always."

He smirked, standing up from the wall and taking a step toward her. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly becoming aware that she was far out of the hearing range of the majority of the school, and, while she was fast, she was pretty sure Erin whatever-his-name-was had a bit of advantage as far as speed went, with his long, giraffe-like legs.

And there wasn't really anywhere to run, as it was. The brick walls of the buildings loomed over her on either side, red and brown and gritty like dried blood (where they weren't slathered with graffiti, that was), the only way out being either past the boys – not an option – or back the way she'd come, which was only more alley that ended in a fence that wouldn't be easy to scale even if she had time to do it carefully, the top thick with barbed-wire (the school claimed it was to keep things out. Riley was pretty sure it was to keep the kids in. She'd heard that, back in the old days, prisons had a similar look).

Wonderful.

"So," Daniels said, glancing behind her with mock concern, "it looks like you're all alone. Weird. I usually don't see you without that little bitch tagging along on your heels like a retarded puppy."

Riley clenched her jaw, feeling her nails digging into her palms. "Well, unlike you, I don't need guard dogs."

He bared his teeth, taking a step closer, leaving barely a foot's distance between them.

"Baby, that's just my audience. I can take care of myself."

Riley snorted. "Really? Funny, but I remember kicking your ass last time you pissed me off."

"You mean when I was beatin' on your girlfriend? You just caught me off guard."

Riley snorted, the 'girlfriend' comment catching her off guard, though she didn't let it show. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He chuckled, though the sound resembled something more like a snarl. "Yeah, well, either way. I've been wantin' a rematch, and since we got a little time on our hands… well. Now 's as good a time as any."

Fuck. This was going to be a pain in the ass.

"I'm gonna guess you followed me out here?" Riley asked carefully, raising an eyebrow.

Daniels just smirked in response.

"That's a little obsessive. I must've done a hell of a number on your pride last time. Poor little baby," she said, casually unfolding her arms.

She was expecting the blow to come, so when he struck out at her she managed to block it, knocking his fist away with her forearm as it went for her face, following up with a blow to his nose that caused him to stumble backward. He spat a curse and then lunged at her, his knuckles connecting with her stomach before she could stop him. The hit knocked the wind out of her, but, when he started to move in closer, she managed to counter with an uppercut to his jaw, being rewarding with a satisfying crack. He reeled backward, clutching his chin, and then shook his head, glowering at her. After a moment's pause where he stared her down, his shoulders hunched and chest heaving beneath his already sweat-soaked T-shirt, he lunged again, this time grabbing for her throat. She threw her hands up to block, and he grabbed her wrist, yanking her toward him and off balance, delivering another punch to her stomach. The pain caused her to cry out, and she bit the inside her cheek, blood erupting in her mouth, the coppery taste of it coating her tongue. She drove her heel into the instep of his foot, causing him to lose balance, and then elbowed him in the stomach, twisting her wrist out of his grasp at the same time, finishing with a blow to his eye. Hoping to finish the fight before it really got started, she grabbed his arms, pulling him forward and kneeing him in the stomach.

When she released him he stumbled and fell to his knees, gasping, before lurching to his feet. They stared each other down for a minute, both breathing heavily, and then he turned back to his boys and gave a curt nod.

Before Riley could realize what was happening, the three of them had descended on her, the bulldogs grabbing her arms and shoving her backward toward the wall. She thrashed against them, her feet connecting with calves and knees, but, much to her frustration and increasing panic, her back ended up against brick. Pain erupted in her left arm, and she glanced over to see she'd gashed it on a piece of pipe jutting from the bricks, blood slowly blossoming on her sleeve, soaking the tattered edges.

"Really?" she demanded, as Daniels advanced on her, wiping the blood from his mouth with his thumb, his jaw clenched. "You seriously called in back up?"

Daniels just snorted, coming to stand just in front of her. "You know what? This wasn't about my pride – this was payback. You should've known better than to piss me off. Now you're gonna learn a lesson, bitch."

Before she could respond, he knocked her across the face with his hand, hard enough to dizzy her, and then followed up by driving his fist into her gut. The blow tore a cry from her, and she heard Daniels chuckle.

"You can say what you want, but you're still a fucking coward," she gritted out between ragged breaths.

She readied herself for another blow, but it didn't come. Instead, Daniels suddenly gasped, his arms frozen by his side. A blade had appeared against his throat, digging in, dangerously close to breaking skin.

"You fucking _let her go. Now_," the owner of the blade snarled. Riley recognized the voice immediately.

"Do what she says!" Daniel gasped, when his companions just gawked.

The boys let go of Riley's arms, stepping away quickly, their hands in the air. Riley calmly stepped away from the wall, resting her hand on her hip as she caught her breath.

The knife was taken away from Daniels throat, and he was shoved forward. He spun around, wide-eyed, and Ellie stalked toward him, switchblade in hand. She backed him against the wall, and then pressed the end of the blade against his stomach, leaning in close to his face as she spoke.

"You don't _ever_, ever _touch_ her. If you fucking get near her again, I'll cut your fucking balls off," Ellie spat, her voice dangerously close to yelling.

Daniels said nothing, and Ellie pressed the blade more pointedly into his stomach.

"Got it?" she demanded.

"Got it," he muttered. Ellie stepped back, holding his guys, and then strode to Riley's side.

"You okay?"

Riley smirked, glancing at the look of disbelief on Daniels face. "Yep, I'm fine. I've had worse."

Ellie nodded, satisfied.

"Now get the fuck out of here," Ellie said flatly, glaring at Daniels and his boys.

They did as they were told, Daniels spitting curses.

Once they were gone from sight, Ellie turned to Riley, her expression softened with concern.

"Hey, are you really okay? You look like shit. There's blood—"

"Ellie— Ellie, hey—" Riley began, but Ellie was already attempting to check her over, reaching out to wipe the blood of her lips and chin with her thumb, looking worriedly at the blood on her arm.

Riley grabbed her hands gently, trying to meet her eyes. "Ellie, I'm okay. Seriously."

Ellie's arms were wrapped around her neck a moment later, and Riley didn't hesitate this time when she hugged her back.

"Sorry. I just—" Ellie shook her head. "I didn't know what was going on. Kayla just mentioned that you'd cut class, and that Daniels and his guys had followed you, and—"

Riley cut her off by taking her hands and squeezing them gently. "Ellie, it's okay."

Ellie nodded, after a moment, her eyes falling down to their intertwined hands.

"We should get you to the nurse," Ellie mumbled, eyeing her arm. "That looks pretty bad."

Riley shook her head dismissively. "Nah. If I go to the nurse it'll be another mark on my record, and I don't need that. I can patch this up."

"At least let me do it," Ellie argued. "I've been working in the infirmary. I'm good at that sort of thing."

"Okay," Riley said, after a moment. "And… thanks, Ellie. Seriously."

Ellie smiled. "Well, now we're even."

* * *

Ellie brought her back to her room, insisting it was safer than Riley's own, as Ellie was still yet to be assigned a roommate. After having Riley remove her jacket so she could get a better look at the wound, Ellie bit her lip worriedly and then turned toward the door.

"Look, just sit tight – I'm going to run and grab one of the med kits from the infirmary. Try not to bleed all over the sheets."

Before Riley could reply, Ellie was out of the door, leaving it to creak closed heavily behind her.

Riley sat awkwardly for a moment, palms rested on either side of her, her blood smeared on the faded and threadbare blue quilt, her eyes traveling over Ellie's room thoughtfully. Ellie had compiled quite the collection of books during their trips to the mall – she had half of this one series about wizards, and had become almost obsessed with it since she'd started reading it. She also had a few comics, one about fairytale creatures living in New York, and another about these weird ass entities that embodied things like dreams and death and despair. Also, tucked safely away in one corner, was the book on constellations Riley had gotten her a while back. She talked about all of the books frequently, her eyes lighting up whenever she discussed scenes she liked, that stupid little grin settling on her face whenever she brought up her favorite characters. She was turning into a bit of a bookworm, Riley had decided.

It was sort of cute.

Riley decided to tuck that thought away in the "to be examined later" file, and quickly turned her eyes from the books, her gaze landing on her reflection in the window.

She quickly realized why Ellie had been so concerned – she really looked like shit. And that was putting it lightly.

He lip was busted, a trickle of blood smeared across her chin. There was a decent sized bruise swelling under her left eye, her knuckles were busted and bleeding, and the gash on her arm looked worse than before, blood welling over and dribbling down almost to her elbow.

Though it didn't show, her stomach felt like she'd been hit by a bowling ball.

Fucking asshole.

She couldn't help but be impressed, however, by Ellie's little display of bravery. She'd seen her get pissy before – hell, she'd seen her almost dangerous, that night when they'd met Marlene. But this had been a little different; this had seemed even more personal than when she'd threatened Marlene.

Riley was just starting to consider the implications of Ellie's rather aggressive protectiveness when the girl in question came jogging through the door, casting a glance over her shoulder as she did.

"Hey, sorry it took so long – there were soldiers all over the goddamn hall."

Ellie plopped down on the bed, dropping the plastic medical box between them. She undid the latches and flipped it open, pulling out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a rag.

"Well, I don't think this is how I imagined playing doctor would go," Riley mused.

Ellie looked up at her disbelievingly, a brow quirked, before a slight blush colored her cheeks. She shook her head, rolling her eyes, and then rested her hand on Riley's arm, pulling it closer.

"This is going to hurt like fuck," Ellie warned, wetting the rag with the alcohol.

Riley just shrugged. "No big deal. Go ahead."

She hissed as soon as the liquid made contact with her broken skin, the sting making her head spin.

"—Fuck!"

Ellie bit her lip, resting her free hand on Riley's elbow. "Sorry."

Riley shook her head, gritting her teeth. "Just get it over with."

Nodding, Ellie resumed wiping at the blood, casting nervous looks at Riley's expression every few seconds. Riley dug her nails into the fabric of her jeans, biting back any sort of protestation. Eventually, Ellie managed to clean the dirt and blood from the gash and then her hands, quickly setting aside the rag and pulling gauze and an antibiotic ointment from the kit.

"What started the fight?" she asked, unraveling the roll of gauze and cutting a strip off.

"Daniels being a jackass, as always. He was still pissy about that time that I kicked his ass into next week for messing with you."

Ellie snorted. "Douchebag."

"Bah. Whatever. I was kicking his ass _again_, up until he called in backup."

Ellie was quiet for a moment. "You know, they could've seriously hurt you, Riley."

Riley shrugged, watching Ellie rub the antibiotic ointment across the wound. "Well, they didn't, thanks to your little act of chivalry."

Ellie laughed, beginning to wrap the gauze around Riley's arm. "Chivalry?"

"Y'know – you coming in like a knight in shining armor and rescuing the damsel in distress, vanquishing the asshole dragon," Riley teased. "All gallant and whatever. I should start calling you Lancelot."

Ellie rolled her eyes. "Pfft. So, what does that make you – the princess?"

Riley laughed so hard Ellie had to steady her arm to keep her from messing up the bandage.

"Princess? Fuck, no. I'm like… a warrior queen. That sounds better."

"Big talk for someone who was getting their ass kicked," Ellie muttered, smirking.

Riley scoffed indignantly, but before she could respond Ellie spoke again.

"Anyway, don't you owe me, now? Because, technically, I kinda made up for you saving my ass from Daniels that first day when I stopped Marlene from shooting you."

"She wasn't going to do that."

"You don't know that," Ellie said flatly.

Riley sighed. "Fine, whatever. So, what do I owe my knight in shining armor?"

"What do princesses usually owe their rescuers?" Ellie asked. "Maybe gold?"

"_Queen_."

"_Princess_."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Well, I've heard a kiss was traditional, but…"

They both fell silent for a moment, there eyes meeting. Riley noticed Ellie's eyes dart down to her lips, and then back up to her eyes, and then down to her lips once more, and, for a moment, felt a surge of something rush through her, making her feel slightly dizzy.

They spent a moment longer looking at each other. For a second, Riley started to lean toward Ellie, unconsciously, and then stopped herself, turning her eyes to her hands where they rested in her lap.

"Well, anyway, I'll have to be on the lookout for some gold."

"…Yeah," Ellie said. Then she chuckled, though the sound lacked energy, and nodded. "I'll be waiting."

"Here," she said, suddenly, reaching out to cup Riley's cheek.

Riley stared at her wide-eyed for a moment, realization settling over her once Ellie retrieved another rag from the med kit and began wiping at the blood on her face.

Neither of them spoke, Riley's eyes on Ellie's as Ellie's gaze traced her features while she cleaned away the blood, her hand resting gently against her cheek, the pad of her thumb unconsciously caressing Riley's cheekbone.

Eventually, Ellie set the rag back down, but her hand remained pressed to Riley's cheek.

"There you go," Ellie said, her voice soft, almost breathy. "All done."

Riley said nothing, resting her cheek against Ellie's hand, her gaze holding Ellie's. For a moment, her eyes darted to Ellie's lips, and then, as she realized where her thoughts had gone, she dropped her gaze, and Ellie's hand fell away, going to rest on her knee.

She needed to get herself under control. This was _Ellie_, for God's sake.

Riley wasn't what I was she felt for Ellie yet – she tried not to think about it too often, desperately trying to ignore that stupid fluttery feeling she got in her stomach every time Ellie touched her, the warmth she felt whenever they were together, the weird happiness that came with knowing Ellie cared for her – but still. She needed to get a fucking grip.

Besides, Ellie probably didn't even feel the same way.

They sat in silence for a while, and then Riley sighed, laying back on the bed, and looking at Ellie questioningly. Ellie joined her a moment later, their heads side by side.

"I wonder if they'd notice if we just didn't show up for anything today?" Riley said, staring up at the bottom bunk.

"I doubt it," Ellie said, turning her head to look at Riley, watching a stray curl fall into her eyes, and resisting the urge to brush it away.

After a moment, Riley sighed, turning and positioning herself so her head was nestled against Ellie's shoulder.

"Well, in that case, I want to take a nap."

Ellie smiled, resting her cheek against the top of Riley's head. "Fine by me."


End file.
